Beluga is a Russian vodka brand that was founded in 2002. Vodka was launched by the Mariinsk distillery in Siberia, Russia. The distillery was founded already in the 19th century and is located in the city with the same name, Mariinsky. Beluga is classified as ultra-premium class vodka and has achieved quite a significant status during its short existence. When the rich people in Russia organize a party, Beluga will highly probably be on the table. Beluga is specifically recommended to drink with caviar, it is also written on the back label of the bottle. Beluga means sturgeon (more precisely, Great sturgeon, Huso huso), whose miniature model is also attached to the bottle, as an elegant little detail.
After the war in Ukraine, in the fall of 2022, Beluga’s international sales rights were sold to Noblewood Group in Montenegro. In 2023, it also started producing vodka in Montenegro. However, the bottle in the picture is an original product made by the Mariinsky distillery. A 50 cl bottle cost €19.99 a few years ago.
The smell is clean, slightly grainy and ethanolic. The first thing that appears in the taste is a sweet note, which is also felt in the mouth as a thicker viscosity. The taste is very soft, the burn of alcohol is felt only at the end of swallowing. The taste has a light graininess and some kind of herbal and spicy nuances, which come out better when you add a little water to the glass. Although it is often said that there is not much difference between vodkas, Beluga manages to stand out in its taste and I can’t think of another product to compare it to. Beluga seems to have all the specs in right order. Stylish bottle, soft and rather original taste, vodka that can be easily sipped on its own. An interesting product that vodka lovers should check out at least once. I wouldn’t necessarily buy it again, when it’s three to four times more expensive than the other similar products on the shelf. Still, when sipping Beluga, you feel that it is something different than what basic products like Absolut or Stolichnaya offer.
88/100
